Revenge of The Cybermen
by Necrosharpe
Summary: This story takes place during the Doctor in his third incarnation. The Doctor and Jo Grant are called to investigate an accident suffered by two students climbing in the alps.
1. Chapter 1

"Hurry up" Fox yelled behind him. Up ahead the wind was becoming a gale and snow lashed his already stinging face.

"I'm right behind you!" Richard called back.

The two men, heavily laden with backpacks and equipment strove forward against the ever-biting wind. They had been trekking through this inhospitable region of the Alps for three days now and to Richard, always the pessimist, it seemed that their journey was in vain. The snow was falling thickly now, and it seemed to the two men, that they had been stumbling around in the whiteness for far to long.

"I think I see a cave up ahead," Fox called

"If it is I think we had better take it, honestly Steve if we stay out here any longer we're gonna get frost bite!"

The two men clambered over the rocky ledge and into the cave. It felt strange to be out of the wind in the eerie silence of the cave. For a few moments neither of them said a word, content only to hear the sounds of their breathing echoing through the tunnel. After a minute or so Steve spoke in a low whisper

"Weird isn't it, I never would have guessed that there was a cave so near to the dig."

"I hate to break it to you Steve" Richard replied looking dolefully back at him, "but I think we're lost"

"we can't be I followed the map and the instructions Professor Macarthur left for me exactly"

"Well I don't remember any caves being listed near the dig site before!"

Fox looked back at him angrily, he liked Richard a lot they had been at college together and had even worked on the same thesis at university. However there were times when his pessimism got the better of Fox's temper.

"Then I guess we shall just have to wait until the storm passes won't we. God man can't you ever say anything constructive!" He flexed his leg angrily "If you're going to sit here and mope then I'm going to take a look around."

Jumping to his feet he strode off through the shadowy passage leaving Richard alone on the floor. Sometimes, Richard thought Fox could really be an idiot; Fox by name fox by nature. Richard had always felt that Steve's surname had been extremely appropriate; A tall, muscular man with a shock of flaming red hair and a pointed, inquisitive face. To Richard Steve's perpetual expression of mild curiosity had always been a source of amusement. This however was typical Steve. As soon as he had heard that Professor Macarthur was looking for assistants out on a dig he immediately signed the pair of them up. It was only after reading the small print that he had found out that no transport was supplied and dig assistants would have to make their to the site by themselves.

"Bloody Steve!" Richard shouted out loud and listened to the noise echo around the cave. The rumble into silence bought Richard back to his surroundings, then another sound met his ears. Grumbling through the walls was a low moan and then a piercing scream. Quick as flash Richard was on his feet.

"Steve, Steve!" He Screamed, "I'm coming".

Steve strode angrily down through the passage, kicking the odd rock aside from his wrath. In his heart of hearts he knew that this was his fault, but he wasn't prepared to admit that to Richard. The Fox had been out foxed. He had been getting increasingly stressed as the journey went on. Steve had done expeditions before, however Richard was a nervous traveller and an even more nervous flier; this had put Fox more and more on edge as they had travelled the 5 day journey. He looked around at the damp cavern, green agley was slowly racing down the walls and he could hear water dripping slowly off the roof. Unusual thought Fox as he pulled at the collar of his waterproof; it's starting to get hot. He started to tread cautiously now as the light from his glow bar was starting to dim and the cave's blackness was becoming ever more oppressive. This is all my fault he said to himself, if only I can find some way out of here. As he said this he felt the rock beneath his feet creak slightly. He looked down and eyes wide in terror began to scream as he fell down into the dark abyss below.

"Steve, Steve!" Richards's feet were desperate now, thudding hard along the rock floor. He skidded to a jog as he neared the slimly darkness of the passage. He called again

"Steve, Steve," a low moan was coming from near his feet and working by touch and feel in the dark Richard reached the dark hole.

"Watch yourself, I'm tossing down a glow bar!"

There was a thunk and suddenly a thin strip of light rose up from the pit. Where the rocks had collapsed a jagged razor edge prevented anyone from climbing down into the pit. At its bottom was Steve. His red hair was matted with blood, which had clotted over one eye. His leg appeared to have been slashed by the rocks in his downward tumble.

"Richie!" The voice called up weak and wavering.

"Its ok Steve it's me, just don't move ok I'm going to get a rope".

The sound of his running footsteps died away only to return a few moments later. Soon Steve felt the comfort of the rope on his body and with some difficulty managed to attach the rope to his belt clip.

"Hang in there mate, I'm going to pull you up!"

When he was back on the surface Richard propped Fox up against the cave wall. His face was pale and his eyes rolled upwards.

"Come on Steve, stay with me" Richard panted as he tore strips from his coat and wound them around his friends wounds"

Steve gasped but could not get any words out, although Richard thought he heard the words armour as his friend lapsed into unconsciousness.

The heat of the cave was very close now. Richard had pulled off his waterproofs and had draped them around his friend as best he could. Please God don't let us die in here, he though to himself as he watched his friend's struggled breathing. Half past twelve his watch said,

"Come on Stevey-boy" only another seven hours and we can try and attract help, what ever you do don't give up!"

Richard did not know how long he slept, the darkness and sickening heat made him woozy. He woke at 3.00. Looking across at Steve he was pleased to see that his laboured breathing had not slowed any further.

"Richie." The words came at a gasp and were very faint,

"It's ok pal I'm here its going to be ok just try and hang in there,"

He placed his hand to his friend's head and could feel his clammy heat. Then he gasped, looking down at the rudimentary attempt at bandages he had made, a terrible green ooze was leaking from it, trickling onto the stony floor. Richard looked down and before he could stop he placed a hand over the wound. He drew his hand back sharply; Fox's leg was like ice burning to the touch. Richard looked back at his friends pale face and wished that daylight would come.


	2. Chapter 2

Deep within MI5 headquarters the small organisation of UNIT was in full operation. As Sergeant Benton strolled down the bland white corridor he noticed the Brigadier was striding about his office, issuing a series of authoritative barks to the telephone on his desk. Phew! Thought Sergeant Benton who was a peaceful man by nature, I don't fancy being the chap on the end of that line! He was just about to walk off when he saw Jo Grant edging down the corridor after him. He stopped to give her a friendly wave.

"Hey there Jo, better watch out the Brigadier looks like he is in a mood today,"

Jo grinned back at him

"Is there ever a day when he isn't?"

Just as Benton was about to open his mouth, the Brigadier emerged from his office

"I think," He said curtly "That the answer you are looking for is yes, Sergeant."

Both Jo and Benton looked at each other sheepishly saying nothing.

"Sergeant Benton, I'm sure that you have better things to be doing that eves dropping on my private phone calls, please go and find something constructive to do before I have to put you on maintenance duty".

"Yes Sir" Benton replied and hurriedly marched off,

"As for you Miss Grant, I would be gratefully if you could find the Doctor and ask him to come to my office at once I need to speak to him."

"Yes Sir" replied Jo and smiling paced after Benton.

The Brigadier looked after them and smiled to himself. He found it impossible to be cross with Jo for long. Although the child was unbelievably clumsy she had a good heart and at the present seemed the only restraining force against the Doctor hopping in the TARDIS and leaving earth for good. The Brigadier who although often frustrated with the Doctor's lack of discipline had the astuteness to realise that he was a valuable alli and would also be an increasingly valuable edition to UNIT. Stroking his small, black moustache the Brigadier returned to his office, carefully closing the door behind him.

"Doctor," Jo called at the pair of legs dangling beneath the car. As she walked through the doors into the workshop she was greeted by a series of loud clanks emerged followed by a loud bang and the Doctor emerged blackened from beneath the car.

"Well really Jo, I can't be disturbed like this when I'm in the middle of perfecting Betsy!"

"Perfecting, seems to be doing far more damage than good Doctor," laughed Jo as she removed a spring from his shock of snowy-white hair.

"Well I think you could at least be a bit more sympathetic" the Doctor replied turning his back to bend over the car's engine. "Hopefully she will be back up and running soon and I wont have to keep relying on the TARDIS to make five minute trips down the road."

It was difficult to think back to those days when the Doctor and her would travel the universe; no time or space was off limits to them. Since then the TARDIS had mysteriously broken down, although it still remained operational it refused to operate exactly along the lines the Doctor instructed. Although the Doctor remained un-phased by this, it was a situation that continued to distress Jo.

Jo stood for a moment mesmerised by the sound of the Doctor at work before she remembered why she had come down to the lab.

"I almost forgot Doctor, I came down because the Brigadier would like to see you he said it was urgent."

The Doctor sighed, glancing at his pocket watch he noticed it was 16.30 in Silas III and forty-two reptons by ten hundred thousand zions on the outer Metavenus ring. Still in England it was only ten twenty and the Doctor felt that this was never an adequate time to be listening to Lethbridge Stewarts ravings. Jo saw his expression and laughed,

"Oh Doctor come on, it can't be that bad. He has probably only got a complaint about the amount of noise you were making dematerialising last week, you remember when the TARDIS door accidentally blew off."

The Doctor grinned nostalgically,

"Yes I suppose you are right Jo," and linking arms with her they made their way out of the stainless steel doors and up to the Brigadier's office.

Back in the mountains Richard was starting to panic. Time seemed to have slowed down, creeping so slowly towards seven o'clock when he knew daylight would come. Steve's breathing had become increasingly laboured now; his face was pale with beads of sweat trickling down his face. Richard watch the fluorescent hands of his watch tick slowly on. He must have slept as he did not remember the time passing, but looked up to see a thin shaft of light making its way through the cave's entrance.

"Steve, Steve," he said pulling at the big man's hands. "Look its morning we can signal for help,"

Fox didn't move however, his eyes rolled back into his head as he slumped down the wall. Richard didn't waste time. He leapt for the cave entrance and began waving madly. The snow had eased off now and he could see the clear, crisp morning breaking over the mountain tops. Looking around he gathered as many pieces of old wood he could find and desperately tried to start a fire.

"Damn lighters" he moaned shaking the tiny pink plastic until a small flame emerged. He hurriedly applied this to the small amount of dried twigs he had scavenged. Soon a puff of thick, black smoke was visible from the mountaintop. To Richard the wait seemed endless. Hang in their Steve he thought. After what seemed like an age, the clicking and whirring of helicopter blades could be heard overhead.

"You hear that Steve," Richard almost cried, "They've come to rescue us!"

Steve however just lolled his head. Suddenly his head jerked forwards his body locked in spasm. His faced jolted painfully whilst his eyes rolled back to reveal the empty whiteness beneath them, his lips flecked red with blood.

"Steve, come on stay with me!" Richard almost screamed.

"Help, Help!" He yelled beating his arms aimlessly against the cliff, and then giving up to the ache in his chest and arms closed his eyes.

The Doctor and Jo waited outside the Brigadier's office, listening keenly to the rustling within. It had been a standing joke amongst the men at UNIT that since the Brigadier's wife had placed him on his diet the Brigadier had begun to eat more crisps and cakes than ever.

"Come in," the muffled voice called through, and the Doctor and Jo entered grinning.

"Ah Doctor, good of you to come so promptly"

"I thought it was an order my good Lethbridge Stuart, one certainly can't refuse a military command."

The Brigadier raised an eyebrow and gave him a knowing look. The frequency with which the Doctor deliberately disobeyed military commands was something that Brigadier did not have the patience to count. He decided to let the comment he had pass.

"I called you in Doctor as I had a phone call from Alpine Mountain Rescue"

The Doctor positioned himself more comfortably in the chair and poised himself to listen.

"Two chaps, one practically on death's door were picked up this morning from near the mountain summit. It seems that they are both mature students on route to an alpine excavation site run by…"

It was here the Brigadier glanced down at a slip of paper on his desk,

"A Professor Macarthur. One of the boys Richard Leatherby caught hyperthermia he is currently in intensive care on life-support."

The Doctor raised a puzzled eyebrow

"I do hate to mention this Brigadier, but whilst this tale is very tragic I do not yet see the relevance it has to me."

"Hang on a second," Jo interjected "Didn't you say that there were two climbers? Please don't say one of them died."

"Students in fact Miss Grant, but yes you're right there were two." The Brigadier smiled. "This my dear Doctor is where you come in. I like to keep a tab on these things, as far as we can ascertain the other chap Stephen Fox fell down a pitfall in the cave they were sheltering in. He was cut pretty badly, severed ligaments to the leg I believe. However he hasn't yet regained consciousness. He's running a pretty bad temperature too and no body seems to be able to realise what on earth is wrong with him."

"High, a fever of some sort?" The Doctor asked in an interested voice

"minus 10 and dropping" The Brigadier said. The Doctor sat up hurriedly.

"That's impossible and he is still alive? But even so a dead man's temperature couldn't drop like that." He ran his hands through his hair thoughtfully.

"This is the question Doctor, no one down at that hospital knows what to do. Instruments freeze if they are left near him to long and one nurse is sueing because she claims he gave her frostbite."

"This is a novelty." The Doctor sat up with a grin.

"I could hardly call it that Doctor. I would like you to fly down there and see if this is something up your street. Take miss Grant along with you, it would be good for her to be kept out of trouble for a while."

"Well really!" Jo exclaimed but before she had time to protest the Doctor pulled her to her feet.

"No time to waste Jo, we have things to organise."

The Doctor swept out of the room with Jo scurrying along behind him. The Brigadier smiled to himself. He had succeeded in inspiring the Doctor's natural curiosity. At least now something lively might occur. Life in UNIT had been extremely dull for the past few months. A potential piece of space debris the Brigadier had been convinced was the sign of another Auton attack the Doctor had dismissed as a simple piece of plutonic waste. However this had a promising appearance to and although the Brigadier did not want to admit it, he felt a small sensation of excitement.

"Slow down Doctor!" called out Jo as she struggled after him through the maze of corridors.

"No time to waste Jo," he answered, "This is very interesting indeed."

The pair pushed hurriedly through the double doors of the lab and the Doctor hurried about collecting various complicated looking instruments from the workstation. Before making for the TARDIS.

"Doctor," Jo implored, "We can't take the TARDIS, the Brigadier told us to fly."

"Oh Jo be logical, the TARDIS can get us there in seconds, if we fly it could take us 4hours just to get there."

"That I think is the point Doctor," Jo reminded him "If we suddenly turn up 5minutes after UNIT has been informed of the incident then its going to look well…well a bit fishy isn't it?"

"I suppose your right Jo, but" the Doctor added grinning "those few extra hours will allow us some leeway, especially if the TARDIS accidentally veers off course."

"Off course?" Jo questioned but the Doctor had already leapt inside the blue police box. Jo sighed to her self and followed him inside. With the familiar grating sound, the TARDIS began to dematerialise.

Charlie Harper was typical of the intellectual yet wayward youth. Unsure of what steps to take in the wide world after college he had some how landed himself a position as a junior nurse at the Swiss National Hospital. He was originally a London boy, born and raised in Bermondsey but had been attracted by the scenic nature of the Swiss National Hospital's employment. What Charlie was not used to, as he stood against the hospital's back wall dragging desperately on a cigarette was an old-fashioned blue police box materialising from between the trees whilst he was on break. He gapped as the dog end fell from his mouth to the floor, smouldering slowly against his trainers. To his further astonishment an old man and attractive young girl emerged from the police box's doors and headed straight towards him.

"There we are Jo," Said the Doctor as they emerged from the TARDIS into the sunlight. "Only a few small hiccups but we made it with two hours to spare for sight seeing."

Jo laughed.

"Honestly Doctor, sometimes." Then she stopped as she noticed the gangly youth propped against the back of the hospitals, Reebok trainers slowly smouldering.

"Ah!" Cried the Doctor and ambled forwards hand outstretched. "And who might you be young man?"

"C-Charlie" stammered the shaking boy pushing a hand back through his long black hair. He stared down at the Doctors hand in the petrified fashion of one asked to greet a piranha.

"Ok Charlie, I'm the Doctor and this is Miss Jo Grant from a special branch of MI5," The Doctor said still smiling "How about you do us a favour."

Charlie looked from the Doctor in his long velvet Edwardian coat to the more comforting big, blue eyes of Jo. He decided that she was a safer bet.

"What kind of favour?" he asked looking at Jo

"We are here on important government business to visit those two climbers..."

"Students" corrected Jo

"Sorry students who were bought in early this morning. However it is very important that we get to see them with the minimum of fuss."

"Umm, sure I can do that." Charlie replied still looking at Jo, "follow me." The Doctor forgave Charlie his rudeness, after all earthmen were so incredibly simple. They followed Charlie back in through the back entrance of the hospital and round to the main desk. Jo looked around her in awe. The place was spotless decorated in a complex mixture of marble tiles. She felt very out of place in her stiletto-heeled boots and wished she had worn something more sensible. The scale of the hospital was enormous. High ceilings with medieval images arched above them. Charlie emerged from behind the desk with two bar-coded pass cards and a tall dark haired man with an over bristly moustache. He extended a hand to the Doctor and turned his back to Jo.

"My name is Daikin, Marcus Daikin I am responsible for security here at the hospital and you must be."

"I am the Doctor and this is my assistant Miss Jo Grant," Said the Doctor waving a hand in the direction of Jo.

"Quite" Marcus said acknowledging Jo before turning back to the Doctor.

"I take it from your superior that you are here to visit the two casualties we admitted early this morning." Daikin asked,

"Yes that's quite right old chap. Can you tell us how to get to their rooms?"

"Yes, yes of course they are in the west side of the hospital in C Corridor, room 1266. We wouldn't want cross contamination now would we." Daikin curled the words around his tongue.

"Now before I issue you with these, I must ask to see some sort of formal identification. You see we weren't expecting any of the UNIT boys for another two hours so…." His voice tailed off into expectancy.

"Here you go Mr Daikin" Jo produced both her and the Doctors UNIT ID cards.

"Doctor, is that your Christian name?"

"It would be if I was a Christian I suppose," the Doctor looked amused, "however I had the misfortune of being born where baptism is as yet was unavailable."

"So you are in the medical profession?" Daikin asked

"Not strictly speaking, I am more of an educational doctor." The Doctor replied creasing his face into a smile.

"So then may I ask what your actual name is?"

But the Doctor glanced down at his pocket watch and gave an exclamation.

"My goodness is that the time, Miss Grant and I must really be getting on if we are to make any progress today at all. If everything is in order here." At this point he took the cards from Daikin's outstretched hand. " We will of course contact you immediately if we have any problems."

With that the Doctor and Jo hurried as fast as they dared down the corridor before Mr Daikin could ask anymore awkward questions. Daikin stood there bemused for a moment. He felt that he had lost control of the situation somewhere, and Marcus Daikin was a man who liked to be in control. Charlie was still flicking aimlessly through some papers on the hospital counter and Daikin called him over.

"I don't like the look of them two, I want you to keep an eye on them and anything suspicious report it to me understand?"

"Yes Mr Daikin" Charlie added and scurried down the corridor after the Doctor and Jo.


	3. Chapter 3

After walking for what seemed like forever the Doctor and Jo made their way into corridor C of the hospital and began counting the room numbers for 1266.

"I didn't like that Marcus man," Jo said abruptly. Her voice sounded unusually perverse breaking the silence in the dark corridor.

"I know what you mean Jo," The Doctor replied, "We may have to watch out for him he asks to many questions to be a good security guard."

They both stopped outside a pair of thick double doors. At the top in small numbers was 1266.

"This must be it Jo," the Doctor said, "Come on best foot forwards."

Jo however was ignoring him but peered up to the small window into the room and gasped. As she neared the window it's crusted and became blocked with a thick covering of condensation.

"Doctor" she cried, "The poor man, why do they have the room so cold."

The Doctor looked grim,

"That Jo is what we are here to find out."

The Doctor swiped his card through the electronic reader and stepped through the door. Inside he drew his coat around him as he immediately felt the chill. Jo let out a little mummour as she looked ahead towards the man in the bed. Steve Fox was lying their draped in only a small white towel. He was very pale and still. Frost crusted his eyebrows and his veins stood blue against the pale skin. Jo went forwards but the Doctor pressed a hand against her.

"No Jo don't. You remember what the Brigadier said, frostbite wasn't it the nurse is sueing for?"

The Doctor moved forwards pulling on some thick leather gloves as he did so.

"Look at this Jo," he pointed

"What Doctor, I can't see anything."

"That's just it Jo, that's just it. Look at his breath its invisible; it is just as cold as he is. Remarkable truly remarkable."

Jo removed a pad and pen from her handbag and began to scribble some notes onto it. The Doctor proceeded to make a though examination of the body abbreviating to Jo and occasionally exclaiming at a 'remarkable find'.

"Now," the Doctor announced, "we are going to have a look at those cuts to his legs."

He cautiously lifted the blanket from his prone body and Jo was filled with the sensation that she was performing an autopsy.

"Strange." The Doctor announced in puzzlement, "These scars, they seem like they have been there for years, but he was only admitted this morning."

"It is strange Doctor," Jo replied making a hurried note on her paper.

Muttering something to himself he began to open up his leather bag, which contained a selection of complex looking instruments. He removed one particularly pointed looking tool and went to insert is into Steve's pale flesh. Then he uttered a gasp and Jo drew quickly over to him.

"What is it Doctor?"

She then saw what had astonished him; the pointed needle at the end of the Doctor's instrument had bent almost to a right angle, rather than penetrate Steve's flesh. The Doctor rapped hard on Steve's leg. A hollow sound was emitted as if the Doctor had done no more than strike a sheet of metal.

"This is very unusual Jo," The Doctor said, he raised a puzzled eyebrow. "I think the best I can do is take a skin sample back to the TARDIS and we see where we can go from here."

"That sounds like a plan Doctor," Jo replied.

"However," the Doctor added, "I don't think our friend Mr Daikin will approve of this. So Jo I'm going to need you to distract our young friend outside."

"Outside?" Jo said in a puzzled voice. Then looking up she saw the shadow of Charlie moving slowly outside the door.

"What's he doing?" Jo asked

"I think our friend Marcus doesn't trust us. He probably sent Charlie down to keep an eye on us. However," He added winking at Jo "that could be something to play in our favour."

As Charlie paced down the corridor after the Doctor and Jo, he felt confused. He was sure that he had seen those two UNIT members emerge from a blue police box in some bushes. He was beginning to wonder whether his mind was playing tricks on him, or whether that really was tobacco he had been smoking. Yet if this all was just a figment of his imagination, by God it was a good. That young girl from UNIT was stunning. Maybe if this is real he thought to himself, I might get the chance to get to know her better. As he was thinking this, the doors came open and Jo Grant emerged looking flushed. She looked about her a seeing Charlie an air of someone who has recognised an old friend spread across her countenance.

"Charlie isn't it?" she said walking quickly other to him "I'm Jo if you remember, from UNIT?"

"Yeah I remember, are you OK you seem a bit flushed." Charlie said blushing as soon as he uttered the words.

Jo smiled comfortingly back at him.

"I know it seems very rude to ask you but could you possibly show me where I could get a glass of water?"

"Sure thing, follow me."

"It is terrible sweet of you." Jo added in sugary tones "I felt so faint in that room, that poor boy is very sick."

"I know he set my stomach a-turn when I saw him. The tea room is just down here."

The pair of them set off down the dark corridor leaving the Doctor alone in the observation room.

The Doctor glanced quickly over his shoulder. The coast was clear.

"Now then young man let's see if we can find out what is wrong with you."

From his leather holdall the Doctor removed a thick, hypodermic needle. It was thicker than most normal needles and looked like it was far better designed for taking blood from cattle. The pointed end glinted maliciously in the poor lighting of the observation room. Had Jo been there she would have been able to recognise the instrument as that the Doctor had used earlier in the morning to remove some oil samples from the internal workings of Betsy. The Doctor set to work extracting the various blood samples and stored them away in a secret pocket at the back of his holdall. He looked down at the small hole he had made in Steve's leg in some bemusement; there was no blood or even leakage of fluid. If I didn't know better the Doctor thought I would have said that this young man was dead. It was true that the absence of fluids, pronounced rigor mortis in the lower limbs and cold touch were all characteristic of the recently deceased. However there was also the severely damning evidence of his own eyes against this. The fact that the man was still breathing. The Doctor was puzzled but decided to let it trouble him later back at UNIT headquarters. In the meantime he had to catch up with Jo and Charlie. Although Jo was a sensible young woman, she also had that invertible urge to gush slightly when she was in full flow of conversation. The Doctor felt that whilst a gush to Charlie could be excused, if word got back to Mr Daikin then things could be made very difficult for UNIT and the Doctor indeed.

In the meantime Charlie and Jo and were happily sitting around a table in the small staff tearoom of the hospital.

"So," Charlie asked "How did you end up working for UNIT, it seems like a pretty cool job you know spies and stuff."

Jo laughed. "Hardly that, its mainly very dull paper work that I do except when I get an exciting visit out of the office like this. My uncle is fairly high up in the Ministry of Defence and he got me the UNIT post. He's a very old friend of the Brigadier."

"Was that the Brigadier you came in with?" Charlie asked, "He seemed very old."

"Of course not that's the Doctor I work for him."

"It must be very dull," Charlie mused

"Oh no." Jo replied quickly "My work with the Doctor is anything but dull. We are out all the time exploring new ideas and becoming involved in his experiments."

"Oh" Said Charlie "How is that then?" This spy stuff is easy he thought just get them talking.

Jo then proceeded to tell Charlie about her adventures with the Doctor, how they had been investigating a plastics factory that they had believed to have been producing faulty goods and it turned out that they were mass producing weapons for assassination. Charlie sat riveted to his seat in awe. Jo continued in full flow although was a little more liberal with the truth. She did not mention for example that this had been a plan masterminded by the Doctor's arch nemesis The Master who was hell bent on becoming one of the most powerful men in the galaxy. She also negated to mention in this instance the Master had been operating for his new Lords The Nestines. These were strange one-eyed Octopus like creatures who had tried previously to conquer earth and had failed having been thwarted at the last moment by the Doctor. Although Jo was always excited to rely tales of the Doctor's daring deeds she felt that it would hardly be appropriate to Charlie. She liked Charlie a lot, but felt that should word get back to Daikin there could be problems. Charlie was still sitting back in amazement. His cigarette untouched slowly burning to the end.

"So, how did they hide these weapons?" He finally said,

"That was the clever part," Jo added "They were designed as high class sofas. Aimed at those with big jobs in government and so fourth."

"Sofas!" Charlie looked incredulous.

"That's right, ingenious isn't it. It was designed from a special type of plastic that would melt when it heated up by someone sitting on it. Then the poor victim was simply engulfed by the plastic and smothered."

"That's horrible." Charlie cried.

I know, thought Jo remembering back. But it hadn't been just sofas, it had been dolls to and the terrible Autons with their expressionless unfinished faces, crude and without mercy. Living plastic it was called. But Jo had felt it was hardly living. It was plastic with existence, but no emotion.

Just as she was lingering on this thought the Doctor emerged through the tearoom doors.

"Ah Jo, I have been looking everywhere for you. This place is a bit of a rat run isn't it?"

Jo smiled up at him, but Charlie seemed disappointed at the Doctor's presence.

"And Charlie," The Doctor added with a smile. "It looks like I missed the party."

"Well Doctor have we got all we came for," Jo enquired,

"Yes, and more probably," the Doctor replied. "And now Charlie if it's possible could you show us the way out, the back way preferably I wouldn't want to cause a scene."

"OK," said Charlie "but I…."

"No need to worry old chap, plenty of time to discuss that on the way."

And with that the three of them headed towards the back exit of the building.

Once outside the Doctor beamed at the sunshine and the crisp morning air. He grinned and turned to Charlie,

"Well thank you very much, you have been a great help. Now Ms Grant and I need to get back to UNIT headquarters and make our report. We will be sure to mention your valuable contribution in our report. You have been a great help Charlie." With that the Doctor and Jo walked briskly around the back of the building to what Charlie was sure was a patch of Rhododendron bushes. He made his way back into the main building where he headed straight for Daikin's office. Outside the door Charlie could hear the security manager talking animatedly on the phone. It was unusual for Charlie, as he had never heard him raise his voice before. The door was open just a crack and Charlie peeped through. Daikin he could make out was a shadow and paced about beside the desk. He moved to the door and strained to hear what the conversation was about. However it was now 10.00 am and the hospital was beginning to get busy. The security wing that housed the offices of the security staff although away from the main building was now busy with various staff members filling the corridors as they moved throughout the building. Try as he might Charlie could only make out one or two words. He caught the end he guessed of Daikin's conversation, he could hear his slightly Greek voice talking into his phone.

"Yes, yes sir of course. We admitted him this morning and I insisted that he was put in a secure wing away from the media. No he has had no visitors. We had one doctor and his young assistant."

It was here Charlie stood up hurriedly and moved away from the door as two senior guards walked past. They smiled and waved at Charlie but didn't stop to talk as they ploughed off into the hospital wing. Smiling back, as soon as they had gone Charlie quickly ducked his ear back down to the door. He listened intently.

"No they were from outside but nothing was taken." He looked up and Charlie pulled back in alarm,

"I have to go." He heard the voice say and heard the click of the receiver. Charlie sat outside and prayed Daikin wouldn't guess how long he had been there. The door opened and Daikin stood there, his dark skin creased into a frown, which was added to by his tiny, exotic black moustache.

"Yes." He asked brusquely.

"You asked me to report back to you sir," Charlie stammered.

"Oh, into my office a moment." He led Charlie into the small square room and indicated a small, black sofa.

"Won't you have a seat?" he asked.

For a moment Charlie was reminded of Jo's story of assassination sofas, but thinking the consequences of a rude refusal could be far more damaging he opted for the slightly safer option of taking a seat.

"So, what have you to report?" Daikin asked, his soft voice almost a purr.

Charlie sat twisting his fingers anxiously. "Well ummm…they've, they've gone."

"Gone?" Daikin raised and eyebrow "I did not hear their car drive off."

"Well this is it sir, I think they may not have driven here." He looked pathetically at the floor.

"You mean they walked, I find that hard to believe as the nearest town is nearly four miles away, I am sure I would have heard a car as this window." At this point he rapped the glass sharply making Charlie jump. " it is always open!"

"I, I don't think they walked." He looked sheepishly at his feet again. "I, think they came in a …police box". Charlie closed his eyes waiting for the explosion.

"A police box". Daikin's voice was soft and attentive now. He stroked his chin, lost for a moment in thought. Charlie winced, waiting for the explosion.

"That's, all you may leave now. Go speak to Scott he will find you some work."

"Ok," said Charlie thankful to be escaping the stifling room. He shambled out into the corridor. It seemed strange he thought as he made his way back towards the wards. He had noticed Daikin's face when he had mentioned the police box, he had expected a look of surprise, rage even for telling such a ridiculous story. But his face had been one of recognition. Oh well Charlie thought. Maybe I'll have chips for lunch.


	4. Chapter 4

Back at UNIT, Jo looked anxiously over the Doctor's shoulder whilst he fiddled with the various test tubes that covered the workshop desk. She watched as he poured the minute droplets of Fox's blood into the bubbling liquid and stood back admiring the results. At that moment a light lit up on the Doctor's workbench and a loud buzzing filled the room.

"Get that would you Jo," the Doctor asked entranced with his experiments

"Hello,"

"Is that you Ms Grant, could you get the Doctor to come up to my office please,"

"Certainly Brigadier." Jo put down the receiver and looked across at the Doctor.

"That was the Brigadier for you, he wants you to come up to his office right away."

"Oh well really." The Doctor looked exasperated but put down his rubber gloves. "Keep an eye on this while I am gone Jo," and then he looked across at her. "But don't touch anything!"

He strode off down the corridor and Jo looked across at the test tubes. The liquid inside had bubbled and frothed but now appeared to be settling. The blood which had entered a brilliant red was now fully solidified at the base of the tube, a bland silvery grey. Jo watched in awe as the tube began to smoke. All of a sudden there was a crack and the tube split spilling its contents to the floor. Jo looked horrified and quickly bent to clean up the mess. It was just her luck for things to go wrong as soon as the Doctor had left the room.

Upstairs the Doctor knocked loudly on the door of the Brigadier's office before letting himself in.

"Oh, umm Doctor," The Brigadier looked ruffled and stuffed a packet hastily back into his desk draw. He regained his composure. "You realise that knocking normally invites a 'come in' before you enter?" He questioned

"I never worry about frivolities such as that," the Doctor replied, "What was it you wanted to see me about?"

"Those two climbers Doctor, I just received word from the hospital that the younger one just died."

The Doctor frowned a puzzled look on his face. "That is interesting, could you possibly tell me how they knew."

"How they knew I don't think I understand you Doctor." The Brigadier looked perplexed, a common expression when in colloquy with the Doctor.

"It's quiet simple Lethbridge Stewart. The man I saw was cold as ice, the limbs atrophied as rigor mortis had set in. However all the medical evidence that this man should be dead was turned on its head by the simple fact that he was still breathing."

"I don't think I quite follow you Doctor?" But in his heart of hearts Lethbridge knew that there was little he could do to actually follow the Doctor's train of thought.

"Come with me Brigadier and I will show you. I have set up some tests in the lab and it looks like we should be expecting the results soon."

As they left the office an almighty crash could be heard.

"Well really," the Doctor puffed as he began to run towards the lab door. Smoke was creeping out and there was a peculiar smell filling the air. "I told her not to touch anything."

Just as he was saying these words Jo burst from the door and ran into the Doctor's arms.

"Oh Doctor it was horrible and it spread so quickly."

"Miss Grant what was spreading quickly? I really feel that you two need to get me up to speed on this quickly."

The Doctor ignoring the Brigadier's blunderings pushed through into the lab. Inside the room was filled with thick choking smoke. The Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver from his pocket and flipped the circuit for the vents. Soon the familiar whirr of the fan could be heard as the smoke was suctioned out from the room. There was a flicker as the lights came on and the Doctor surveyed the damage. The floor was covered in a shiny metallic sheen that rose up onto the tables and the work bench. The Doctor flopped down onto a half metallic chair and sighed. "So it needed something organic" he whispered to himself.

"What on earth happened in here?" the Brigadier exploded as he walked into the lab.

"I'm not sure I think that perhaps organic substances cause ….a reaction"

"Well I think the fact a reaction has happened in here is fairly conclusive, the question is what caused it and why. This is going to cost a fortune to repair."

Jo attempted to compose herself

"I don't know what happened Brigadier, one minute a blood sample from that student was in the beaker and the next thing I know this substance is covering the floor." She looked down ruefully. "I don't think my boots will ever be the same again," she added.

She looked over at the Doctor, he was sitting thoughtfully in his chair eyes gazing off into the distance. Jo knew this look, it was one all too familiar to her. The Doctor had suddenly come across and idea. She knew what she had to do.

"Brigadier I think we should go and get the forms to assess the damage and also get Sergeant Benton down here. Maybe he can help seal off the area."

The Brigadier who looked as if he was about to being questioning the Doctor again suddenly realised that Jo was taking charge.

"Yes quiet, quiet Ms Grant please go and find Sergeant Benton immediately I will go and ring the minister and inform him of the situation. After that sit tight and await my instructions." Then with a perfected military turn the Brigadier marched out of the door. Jo waited until he was gone before addressing the Doctor.

"Come on Doctor, what's going on?"

"To be truthful Jo I don't know." The Doctor scratched his head thoughtfully, "I don't know… this seems all too familiar but I just for the life of me can't work out why. Tell me again when did this ….metal begin spreading over the floor? Try and tell me exactly what happened."

"Humm, I think you had just left the room. The blood you added to test tube it sort of separated. You know all the red with the platelets at the top and this very dense, dark substance went to the bottom of the beaker. Then I can't remember it just cracked and it ended up all over the floor."

"Here, here sit down". The Doctor stood up to allow Jo the seat. She still looked incredibly pale and was shaking slightly. He looked straight at her.

"I think," he said darkly "this is some kind of metal. But no ordinary metal. How familiar are you with the periodic table Jo?"

"I'm ok I guess,"

"Well what do you know about mercury?"

"Not much really Doctor, I mean its liquid at room temperature right? They use it in thermometers. Oh and it's very poisonous especially in its gaseous form."

"Yes that's right, but it has another name quicksilver because of its colour and liquid properties. What you probably don't know is that quicksilver is a derivative of another metal an alien metal to this planet and that is known as quicksilver also hence where our mercury acquired its nickname."

"Oh Doctor that can't be true."

"It is Jo. It has special properties. Like mercury it is liquid at moderate temperatures, however it forms compounds very easily. All it needs is a catalyst and it solidifies. In this case I think when I separated the blood to see if that young man's blood contained any foreign substances this must have triggered the reaction."

Jo looked down at the floor it was shinny and hard. It was almost crazy to think that only a couple of hours ago it had been covered in normal linoleum. She stood up weakly.

"I think Doctor this is something way out of my league. What do you suggest we do?"

The Doctor stood silent for a moment.

"I think Jo, the best way forwards would be to head back to that young man in Switzerland I think I need to examine him more closely."

"But Doctor the Brigadier said…"

"Yes I know but how many times have we encountered things that, lets just say have not been as dead as we would have liked them to be."

Jo grimaced at the crudity. But then she thought back to the autons. Their bodies not alive but not dead, marching forwards as an army impervious to gunshots. It had been a nightmare, one of the worst kind, when you can't wake up.

"I suppose…I see what you mean.."

"I think you know what I mean. That young man is not all he appears to be, and we need to get to the bottom of this."

He marched towards the TARDIS, its doors invitingly open. Jo looked around at the lab. No longer clean it was a smoking mess with beakers and bottles littering the floor, a newly formed layer of broken glass covering its surface. As she made to sit herself down again on the chair she heard footsteps in the corridor and the voice of the brigadier penetrating through the open door.

"Yes, I have miss Grant in there, she will assist you with all the paperwork. Get her to find any of the information you need.."

Without needing to hear any more Jo jumped into the TARDIS pulling its door closed before it dematerialised.


	5. Chapter 5

The autopsy studio was dark and silent. Sometimes the temporary staff would play music off the small stereo to help ward off what was commonly known as 'the chills'. It was a legitimate complaint. Anyone who spent their day with the dead could get this, a creepy sense of being watched by the lifeless eyes in the room. Most students however fended this off with a healthy dose of cheesy pop or classical radio and soon became accustomed to the long, lonely hours that were the absorption of their profession. Lisa however was different she never listened to the radio or sang to herself as some did. Lisa was a professional and preferred to have silence to concentrate rather than the distraction of irrelevant sound. Concentration was the key. It made the difference between a cadava and a well loved family member. Lisa took great pride in her work. She liked too know that the relatives of a body would not have to look at anything too harrowing when she had completed her work. The huge v incisions were a particular source of anguish, but a great deal of skill and patience could often reduce the visibility of this essential part of the process.

Lisa began the traditional processes of the autopsy. The unmoving figure lay on the slab in front of her eerily still. Lisa was normally comfortable with the cadavers, her professional training would allow nothing less. However there was a sense of disquiet surrounding her. On her clipboard the chart name read 'Fox, Stephen Arthur. D.O.B: unknown, T.O.D: 14.30, C.O.D: unknown'.

"Ah a mystery man," she thought.

She looked down at the inert form and felt a chill. The room was so cold. Shivering she walked over to the thermometer and examined the reading. 4 degrees was the readout. That was unsual, she tapped the thermometer a couple of times but the readout remained the same. Bemused she made her way over to the instrument table and picked up a scalpel.

"Ok Mr. Fox, time to see what sent you to the gates early," she grinned to herself behind the protective mask. Morticians' humor was an acquired taste.

But as Lisa moved towards the body she felt a strange sense of foreboding. As she went to press the scalpel into the skin it shattered in her hands. The strong titanium blade cracking and sending shards of metal across the room. Lisa looked down at the blood pumping from her hand and sighing went to collect a bandage from the first aid kit. The standard blue plasters took some time to apply After repairing her hand as best she could she turned back to have another attempt. It rattled her, this would be more paper work to fill out and she would have to supply a blood sample to isolate her spillage from that of corpse. Then she screamed. The body had gone. Glancing around the room was exactly the same, it must be one of the hospital porters. Alongside creeping up on the morticians exiting the lab, moving around lab equipment was a standard prank that killed a few minutes in a long day.

"Come on guys, this isn't funny" She yelled, but there was no reply.

"Ok ha ha, you got me now come on bring him back in here." There was still no reply. Frustrated she moved towards the door, they had gone to far this time. A joke was a joke but this was a lot more serious. Looking forwards into the big mirror she caught a glimpse of a shadow moving up behind her, a piercing scream cut through the air. Then there was silence.

Down the corridor Charlie was still looking for a place to dump his crash trolley. He hated having to take the lift. The huge service lifts that furnished the carrying needs to the hospital staff were distinctly dilapidated. Charlie didn't like lifts at the best of times, and being trapped in one of the creepy service lifts with its entirely metal décor and faint odor of sterilization cleaner was too much to bare. He figured he could leave the trolley some way down the corridor and hope for the best. Maybe the supervisor would think it was one of the other porters.

As he parked the trolley neatly against the wall, he started thinking about lunch… what he was going to have. As he was about to leave he suddenly remembered that Lisa was doing an autopsy and wondered if she was nearly finished. Charlie had always held a secret passion for Lisa. He admired the way she would break her gruff demeanor to greet him in the mornings. The pair had often collided in the corridors as serendipitously their breaks would fall at the same time. Slowly but surely more out of habit than anything else the pair had begun an unspoken arrangement to meet and share lunch in the small hospital break room. It was an odd relationship but one which was oddly satisfactory to the pair of them. Shuffling past the rack of trolleys Charlie headed towards the autopsy room, it wouldn't do any harm to check if she working he could always hang about for a bit. As Charlie made his way to the room he heard an ear splitting scream and stopped dead in his tracks, the thought of chips now gone from his mind. Time seemed to stand still as he wondered whether to just run away or to find out what caused the scream. Suddenly the world exploded in sound, metal on metal, glass and plastic all crashing in one almighty round. But no sooner has this noise begun it stopped and the corridor was quiet as the grave. Charlie stood rooted to the spot terrified, his legs simply wouldn't move no matter how hard he willed them. But then something in him snapped, he quickly moved towards the large stainless steel doors and cautiously peered through the vision panel but could only see an empty room filled with the translucent darkness of the basement. Working up the courage, he put his hands on the door and slowly pushed it open. "Hello….. anyone there?" he called out "Lisa? You in here?" he said. Hearing no reply Charlie braced himself and crept slowly into the darkened room.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Seven – The body, the boy and the boss

Daikin surveyed the mess that was formally the autopsy room. Pans and instruments littered the floor, surgical equipment and cracked glass also mingling amongst the confusion. He stared blankly across at the twisted ball of metal that had formally been the mortician's table that sat in center of the room. What was worse was the blood. Splattered, congealing red, dark and bright was flung against walls and ceiling indiscriminately. This was a concern, it would be hard to hide this damage from the police…but that might not be necessary. After a quick glance around the room he saw what he was looking for, a small clipboard covered in notes. Removing the top piece of paper he folded it neatly and placed it in the breast pocket of his suit. Then silently he turned and made his way to the lifts.

The building had been sealed off to prevent any members of staff or the public accidentally wandering in. The basement was traditionally off limits to non-staff members however now several armed security guards had been placed outside the service lifts which connected the basement with the main hospital. But this tragedy was no secret. The staff traipsed dejectedly about their duties whilst the murmurings of rumor blew throughout the hospital corridors. Some claimed that a patient from one of the psychiatric wards had escaped and wrecked havoc on the basement levels. Those privy to more intimate details whispered of a 'Frankenstein's monster' who had feigned death only to find further ways to satisfy his blood-lust. No one knew of course the true state of affairs, Marcus Daikin the head of security had been explicit that the basement was to remain sealed off until the police arrived. Until then staff were to curb their desire to gossip and try to go about their duties as normally as possible.

Outside the hospital the familiar grating sound of the TARDIS materializing filled the air and the Doctor and Jo stepped neatly from behind the Beberus hedge and made their way towards the hospital entrance. The reception was empty apart from a few security staff standing around the corridors which led off to the wards. Jo shivered as they entered the clicking of her heeled boots on the marble floor sounding obscenely loud. It seemed to Jo that no matter how often they visited the Swiss National Hospital she would always feel out of place.

"Humm…so you can feel it too Jo?"

"What that cold feeling? Doctor I'm scared I think something terrible has happened here."

Before she could finish two security guards clad in black jumpsuits moved over to them.

"I'm sorry sir I am afraid the hospital is closed to visitors today."

"Closed?" the Doctor fairly spluttered, "My dear chap you cannot close a hospital it simply isn't done. Besides I am not a visitor I am the Doctor."

"Has there been an accident?" Jo asked.

The taller of the guards narrowed his eyebrows, he looked down at the pair and pulled a two way radio from his belt.

"Who did you two say you were again?" he asked his voice worryingly emotionless.

"I am the Doctor and this is Ms. Jo Grant we were here this morning."

The guard turned his back and began to mumble into his radio. The Doctor whose hearing was excellent managed to make out the words "that man again…yes and the girl… very well I will send them down."

He turned to face the two again. "I have spoken to my superior and he has permitted you access to the basement level, where the…tragedy occurred." He pointed towards the end of the corridor. "Please use the service lift at the end."

The Doctor looked across at Jo and raised and eyebrow but said nothing and followed the second guard, a rather stout blonde haired man along the corridor towards the lift.

"What was that all about?" Jo whispered to the Doctor as they rode the lift down to the basement level.

"I'm not sure Jo," the Doctor hissed back "however it has been my longstanding belief that the best results are achieved by never saying more than necessary."

Jo looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Best results?" she mouthed.

The Doctor grinned, "Ok, most interesting results."

Death was a familiar sight to the Doctor. His many travels through time and space had allowed him to experience both the highs and lows of a race's lifespan. However his particular passion for humans meant that the premature end of their lives filled him with a great sadness normally unfamiliar. Gazing around the wreckage of the autopsy room he surveyed the chaos. The table which had formally occupied the center of the room had been overturned and crumpled into a heap. Needles, surgical equipment and shards of glass littered the floor. Across from the double doors which permitted entrance to the morgue was a pool of congealing blood with the mortician lying at its centre. Jo had already been instructed to interview the porter who had found the body. The Doctor had felt that had Jo witnessed this scene their work may have been significantly impeded. The mortician's neck had been broken. The head practically severed, was lying at an obscure angle. Her body appeared to have several broken bones and one side of the face was so heavily contorted that the Doctor presumed this must have been where there fatal blow was struck. He sighed; the transition from life to death was never an easy journey. He glanced down at the ID card pinned to the woman's chest. 'Lisa Clutterbuck' and briefly closed his eyes.

Standing up the Doctor scanned the wreckage, the chaos clanging with the clinical sterility and immaculate state of the hospital above. His eye was drawn to the crumpled ball of metal that had been the autopsy table. Buried deep into the metal was a hand print. However whilst human in shape the print was distorted at the flanges to a far greater width than that of any human. The Doctor stood looking at it lost in his own thoughts.

"Ahhh…Doctor." The soft voice caused the Doctor to turn startled. Behind him in his immaculate blue suit was Daikin. "I see you have become acquainted with our little tragedy."

"Yes, although certainly from the scale of the mess down here it would appear that this is no _little_ tragedy."

Daikin spread his hands in an expressive gesture. "It is a problem we face from time to time. Occasionally tragedies occur especially at a hospital such as ours."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, "Oh really how so?"

"Well we take many…high risk patients especially to our psychiatric wards, usually we believe we can help them." He paused rolling his tongue across his lips, "but of course sometimes there are those who just can't be helped. However I am very interested Doctor how our little problem is the concern of UNIT?"

The Doctor grinned, "Actually it is now my concern Mr. Daikin, having examined this scene I can safely say that this is not the work of a lunatic."

Daikin frowned, his tone became dangerous, "I think Doctor, that you have been allowed enough time here. My staff and myself are obviously distraught with the death of this young woman. However we have to now organize the capture of the patient responsible for this. You are not the police so I believe it would prudent for you to leave now." He waved an arm towards the door. "I do hope you are not considering becoming one of those who we cannot help Doctor."

The Doctor seemed about to protest but in a change of heart meekly made his way towards the exit. However just he was about to cross the threshold he stopped.

"Is it only card key access to this room?" He asked questioningly

Daikin looked surprised, "It is card key to enter and exit, it is a security measure that I recommended personally." He moved behind the Doctor. "The lifts are in front of you, do not forget to return your ID passes on your exit."

Returning to the hospital level the Doctor made his made to the staff break room. His intuition was rewarded as glancing through the window he could see Jo seated next to Charlie on the break room sofa. The boy was shaking and Jo had her arms around his shoulders. The Doctor strode into the room causing the pair to jump. He flung forwards a hand and grabbed Charlie's in his.

"Ahhh its Charlie is it not, a pleasure to see you again. I'm sure you won't mind if I borrow Ms. Grant for a moment."

Charlie spluttered but could say nothing as the Doctor whirled from the room with Jo in tow behind him. Outside in the corridor Jo looked grim.

"Doctor, I don't think that was very fair the poor boy is in shock."

The Doctor seemed un-phased. "Do you think you could keep him talking for a bit longer?"

"Of course, but why?"

"I think…we may have outstayed our welcome here. However there is something fishy about that accident that I don't understand I want to try and get a look at that other climber who was bought in here."

Jo grinned, "Ok Doctor, but please be quick. I don't like that Daikin man he gives me the creeps."

"Me too Jo, me too." And with that the Doctor strode off down the corridor.

In his office Daikin removed the piece of paper from his pocket. He read the top line,

_Fox, Stephen Arthur. Cause of death unknown however body has pronounced rigor-mortis and several lacerations to the lower limbs. Whilst demonstrating symptoms of a viral infection (recommend investigation with toxicology) early prognosis is death from blunt force trauma and loss of fluids. _

Smiling he removed a lighter from his desk and watched the flames envelope the paper as it curled and crumpled to ash. At this point the phone rang and replacing the lighter in his desk draw Daikin bent to pick up the receiver.

"Hello," there was silence as he listened to the voice at the other end.

"Yes it has been taken care of…No he came back," a venom filled his voice now the Greek accent became more pronounced, "but don't worry I will be dealing with him and the girl very soon."


	7. Chapter 7

The Swiss national hospital had a most peculiar layout that even the most well orientated staff often found confusing. It was designed rather like a spider's web, with the reception located in the centre of the building, accessed via a long corridor from the front doors and the various wards spreading outwards from this hub. The Doctor had only ever encountered a building layout this complicated once before. However this had been on a world where 'The Game' was designed as a form of entertainment and the complex layout was a hindrance to participants and without their knowledge encouraged them towards a variety of traps. Shaking his head the Doctor continued along D – Corridor 2. Only humans could possibly make something as simple as a hospital this complicated. But wasn't that something humans loved to do take the simple and see the most complex and non-existent patterns in them? As he continued to walk he came to a new conclusion, he didn't want to admit it, this was perhaps a trait he had picked up from spending too much time amongst humans but he was lost. Behind him he could hear footsteps, the voices with them becoming louder as they approached.

"An old man?"

"Yes, he's wearing a weird get up, long sort of coat thing and a frilly shirt."

"Ok, I take it we are bringing to the main security office?"

"Of course."

The Doctor looked around quickly and dived into the nearest door. Once inside feeling around his hands told him he was in a uniform storage cupboard. He held his breath as the footsteps died away down the corridor. Next to his head he felt a cord dangling, taking a chance he pulled it and light flooded the small room. Grabbing one of the white coats he pulled it over his own and carefully moved back into the corridor. A few paces around the corner he found himself on a ward. It was immaculate, the floor shone clean and all of the patients were tucked neatly into their beds with crisp white sheets. The room was large and around the ceiling several large windows had been opened a crack to allow fresh air into the room. There were a few nurses milling around checking patient records and occasionally making notes on the clipboards at the end of their beds. The Doctor moved over to the nearest one a young woman with curly blonde hair,

"Hello," he said

"Ohhh goodness," the women said jumping back in alarm, "you did give me a fright."

"I'm terribly sorry. I'm afraid I am new and seem to have lost my way. I am looking for a patient who I have been sent here to examine a Mr Richard…" at this point the Doctor consulted the shopping list he had in his pocket, paying close attention to a scribbled reminder to buy grapes he announced "Leatherby. Richard Leatherby"

The young nurse laughed her curls bobbing up and down as she did so, "that young man, ah you must be the British doctor they sent." She winked, "you will have to be careful though he is in the care of nurse Ambler. She doesn't like having her patients disturbed by anyone not even you Doctor…err"

"Smith," finished the Doctor smoothly "Doctor John Smith."

The nurse laughed again, her curls bouncing about her head as she did so "well your ID just says Doctor…ha ha Doctor who."

The Doctor grinned, "I seem to get that with increasing frequency these days. Now if you don't mind could you show me which way I need to go." He glanced down at her name badge "Catherine."

The nurse pointed down the corridor he had already come. "You need to go back that way and then turn left at the first opportunity. After that it's all fairly simple." She looked puzzled for a moment. "I can't understand why one of the senior doctors didn't show you where to go. Maybe I should call the matron." The Doctor placed an arm around her shoulder.

"Now, now don't go bothering the matron. It is a bit chaotic today because of…well that accident down in the basement. I think the staff are a little preoccupied."

The nurse's eyes gleamed as one whose very core is fuelled by gossip. "Oh you mean _that _accident."

The Doctor winked and tapped his nose with a slender finger. "Just think all that mess to clean up and a patient on the loose. It can't be easy to run the hospital in a situation like that. Why if anyone was to try and sneak a look it would probably be quite easy with all the senior staff running about like this." With that he turned and headed back the way he had come leaving the nurse gapping open-mouthed behind him. After a few minutes walking and he was bought round the corner to a ward helpfully labelled 'Priority Patients'. Ahh he thought, this sounded promising. Another few steps and he was outside a door labelled 'Leatherby, Richard – access to treatment staff only'.

Back at the staff room Jo re-entered and sat down next to Charlie.

"I'm sorry," she apologised, "its just the Doctor's way, he likes to be dramatic."

Charlie merely hung his head miserably. "I just don't know what to do. It's like my world has just started falling down around my ears." Jo patted him on the shoulder.

"I know it seems bad now, but its in situations like this that hero's are made. It was very brave of you to go in the mortician's room. Anything could have been in there."

This seemed to perk Charlie up a bit, "you think?" he said.

"Yes of course, it was very brave."

"Miss Jo Grant." The clipped tones cut through the conversation. Looking up Jo met the eyes of the security guard.

"Yes." She replied,

"I have instructions for you to come with me to the main office. There is a phone call for you from the Doctor."

"Oh," Jo looked a little startled. Still it must be important she figured if the Doctor had sent for her. "Ok," she looked at Charlie "I'm sorry I have to go, but I will see you again soon ok."

"Ok, bye" Charlie said. Strange he thought, the only phone in the main office is Daikin's personal line.


End file.
